1. Field
The present invention is related to a system and method for generating high energy optical pulses with an arbitrary waveform.
2. Description of Related Art
In many different fields, it is desirable to produce optical pulses with arbitrary or pre-defined waveforms having high energy (e.g., greater than 100 mJ). One technique for generating a high-energy optical pulse may involve performing amplification and frequency conversion on a low-energy optical signal using a variety of optical components. Optical amplifiers and frequency converters by their nature, however, are non-linear devices and will inherently distort the signal waveform as they increase the energy level or shift the frequency of the signal. Additionally, the amount of energy which can be stored in an amplifier is limited by amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) and parasitic coupling between gain stages. Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) limits transmission capabilities of the signal pulse and also the output pulse energy that can be obtained. Accordingly, there is a need to produce a high energy optical waveform with a desired arbitrary shape and frequency with reduced signal distortion and increased pulse energy.